You know that dramatic “what would your last meal be?” question?
I’ve found a new answer. A huuuuuuge new answer.
And you’re looking at it.
In true Jessica fashion, this might be my favorite thing until the next favorite appears, but honestly — this is so fantastically delicious I can hardly stand to look at it.
I went through a hair-crimper phase in 1993. My mom said it made me look like Roseanne Barr, but that didn’t stop me from buying another crimper years later. Trends come back around — and for me, pimento cheese is very much the same. Over the past year I’ve wanted to pimento-cheese all the things (thankfully, no more hair tools).
Pimento cheese is now a verb. Feel free to resent me.
These biscuits have a story.
I planned to share something fried and biscuity for months — a little bite for a quick Kentucky Derby party: honey butter biscuits, lightly fried chicken, and plenty of arugula. But the kitchen had other plans. My fried chicken attempts were disastrous. I soaked chicken in buttermilk and did the flaky flour crumb method I’ve used before, and still it failed. I even tried a tortilla-chip crust, which I’ve done successfully in other recipes, but that didn’t work either. The chicken ended up looking like sad biscuits, according to Eddie, and it just wasn’t happening.
So I pivoted.
Enter: PIMENTO CHEESE CHICKEN SALAD.
I may never make another chicken salad. This version mixes shredded chicken with lots of white cheddar, pimentos, crumbled bacon, green onions, garlic, Greek yogurt and mayonnaise for creaminess, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. It’s tossed until perfectly combined, then piled over peppery arugula and topped with bread-and-butter pickles — all nestled inside a honey butter biscuit.
This might be my favorite thing I made in 2016. The flavor is unbelievable: sweet, savory, crunchy and flaky with every texture you could want.
These are my weekend dream, the perfect picnic or garden-party bite. You can make the components ahead of time, though biscuits are always best fresh. If you skip the biscuits, try this chicken salad on toast — and ideally topped with potato chips, because sandwiches deserve texture.
Good news: the biscuits only take about half an hour, less if you’re comfortable with biscuits. I’m not a baker by nature, but biscuits are simple and always worth the effort — buttery, flaky, and the ideal vehicle for this chicken salad and pimento cheese.
So seriously — how will lunch compete today?
Pimento Cheese Chicken Salad on Honey Butter Biscuits
12 to 15 biscuits
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Ingredients
honey butter biscuits
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon honey
pimento cheese chicken salad
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- (4-ounce) jar pimentos, drained
- 2/3 cup finely grated white cheddar cheese
- 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 4 cups arugula, for serving
- bread and butter pickles, for serving
Instructions
honey butter biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Add the cold butter and cut it into the flour until coarse crumbs remain. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk, stirring until just combined. Use your hands if needed to bring the dough together.
- Pat the dough into a circle about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into rounds and place on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake 10–12 minutes until golden and tall. Whisk melted butter with honey, brush over warm biscuits, and let cool slightly.
pimento cheese chicken salad
- In a large bowl toss shredded chicken with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Add bacon, green onions, garlic, pimentos and grated cheddar, mixing to combine.
- Whisk together yogurt and mayonnaise, then fold into the chicken mixture. Adjust mayo or yogurt by the tablespoon if you prefer a creamier salad.
- To serve, brush biscuits with extra honey butter, top with arugula, add a few spoonfuls of chicken salad and finish with bread-and-butter pickles.
Notes
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